Often a buyer of goods and services may be forced to choose a provider based on selection criteria other than his own. For example, an employee on a business trip may be constrained by company policy to travel on an airline other than the airline of his own preference. For example, for certain types of flights, the employee is required to fly by the very lowest cost carrier, although using that particular may be inconvenient or distasteful to the employee.
What is clearly needed is a system and method for eliciting a counter-offer from a vendor preferred by the buyer that meets the criteria for cost, quality, etc., of the goods or services provided by the vendor selected by an external party, or at least approaches such criteria within a reasonable range. For example, if a traveler books a reservation through his company on the company's selected airline, then before the tickets are paid for, said novel system and method could elicit a counter-offer from the traveler's preferred airline that meets or comes within, for example, $25 of the cost of the tickets booked with the company's chosen airline. What is further needed is a system and method for such a counter-offer to be accepted either automatically, according to certain preprogrammed rules, or manually after review by the buyer. Also, in some cases other attributes of the service, such as price, seat location, etc. may drive a change of airline. Furthermore, a third party, or some top down influence is relevant, but not necessary.